People Powered Politics

LOCAL | COMMITTED | INDEPENDENT

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be taken around the Mura Lanyon Youth and Community Centre by Francis and the team!

It was eye-opening and heart-warming to hear about the impact of the tremendous community development that goes on there.

I

A big part of my job is listening to what people in our community are raising with me and then doing the work to get answers.

Questions on notice are one of the tools I can use to put those issues directly to government and get information on the p

There’s a big conversation happening about the future of UC and CIT.

The University of Canberra has today signalled that it wants to explore closer collaboration with CIT, including the possibility of a merger.

But what do young people thin

My Mobile Office is on the road again!

Hope to see you down in Woden on Saturday!

Don't forget it's a Census year!

The Census is on 11 August 2026 and it is important that every household fills this out, as it helps us understand a bit about the people that live and work in our areas, and therefore how we can best support them.

I met with the University of the Third Age (U3A) Farrer group yesterday to discuss the Assembly and local matters of interest.

It was great to have an open conversation with everyone and discuss a good range of topics, namely:

-MLA numbers in the

On Saturday, you can catch me at Manuka for a chat about anything local.
I am keen to hear your views on what matters in your area!

The details:
11:30am to 12:30pm
8 August 26
Manuka, the lawns by Palmerston Lane

Hope to see you there 🙌
If you

On 3 August I attended the Havelock House vigil to Canberra's homeless to mark the start of Homelessness week.

The theme for Homelessness Week 2026 is Homelessness Action Now — because we know what works. Now we need action at the scale and

I want to hear from young people on the Southside about the issues and priorities that matter to them!

Your answers will help us develop policy ideas, guide our work in the ACT Legislative Assembly and plan future youth conversations and activitie

According to the 2026 AAMI Crash Index, Hindmarsh Drive recorded the highest number of insurance claims in Canberra, with nose-to-tail collisions the most common type of crash.

It's not hard to see why.

This stretch of road carries huge traffic v

Congratulations to Minister Sephen-Smith @rachelstephensmith on becoming Deputy Chief Minister today and congratulations to Minister Tough @caitlinforbrindabella for her new portfolios, Human Rights, Corrections, Community Services, Women, Seniors an

The western side of Woden Town Centre has gone without public transport for too long. Minister Steel has confirmed the government is looking into getting this service up and running again!

I have heard from numerous locals that this service has be

Budget

The Territory's fiscal position remains fragile. The Budget remains in deficit, the return to surplus has been delayed again, and net debt is projected to keep rising.

The Government has acknowledged these challenges and taken some steps to

The government is relocating the Access Canberra shopfront to the Woden Library. ⚠️

I am calling for the business case to be released. 💬

Residents deserve to know:
What assessment was undertaken of community needs?
What services may be reduced?
W

I was delighted to be invited to participate on the panel at the Shark Tank event hosted by @cbr_in and @theasegroup to hear from Young Canberra Entrepreneurs.

It was an inspiring event, and I was incredibly impressed by the passion, creativity an

I support development done well, which includes holistic planning for affordable housing choices, commercial areas and jobs, services (health, education, transport), public spaces, and community facilities.

Southsiders Youth Voices Survey

Complete the survey

I want to know what it’s like being a young person on Canberra’s southside.

If you are a young person that lives on or is connected to Canberra’s southside, please complete my short survey to help me better understand the issues that matter to you and your priorities.

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Committee Meetings

Stakeholder Meetings

204 2,458

Community Events

Constituent Correspondence

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Media Appearances

A brief history on ACT Politics and what I can do as an Independent MLA…

As an Independent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), I sit on the crossbench with the other independents and the Greens. There are currently 25 members in the parliament comprised of 10 Labor, 9 Liberal, 4 Greens, and 2 Independents. To successfully pass a bill, 13 members need to vote in favour, meaning Labor needs to get three other members on side. Since 2008, Labor and the Greens formed a majority coalition government making it more likely a bill was passed without scrutiny from other parties. In the last election, the Greens decided against forming a coalition with Labor over some commitment disagreements.

This is where my role as an Independent can have a big impact. I am guided by the community as to what I fight and vote for in the Assembly. Now with only 10 Members, Labor has to work harder and make compromises to get the required votes from around the Chamber. It means we have room to negotiate with the Government to get outcomes in line with what the community is asking for.

What YOU can do…

Tell me what matters to you! Submit a form on this website, send me an email or call my office. I will hold the Government to account and fight for what matters to you.

A great way to show your support for an issue is to start or sign a petition. Petitions are a way to make formal requests direct to Parliament. They are formal documents containing a list of signatures from ACT citizens/residents to Members of the Legislative Assembly seeking the redress of a grievance.

Legislative Assembly Inquiries provide an opportunity for your views to be heard by government. A committee, comprised of MLAs from different parties, will investigate and examine submissions provided by the community. This shapes recommendations which are provided to the government.

ABOUT ME

I grew up and am still living in the Woden Valley with my partner and three boys. As such, I am acutely aware of the removal of local facilities over the years.

I am passionate about our community and our social and economic development. I am a qualified accountant and have worked in the budget group in the Department of Finance.

I got involved in the community when I saw the decline of social infrastructure in the Woden area. Things like the pitch n’ putt, bowling greens, tennis courts, YMCA, the indoor sports stadium and now to top it off, the Phillip Pool and Ice Skating rink has been sold to Geocon! I became President of the Woden Valley Community Council with the goal to bring people together. I organised a number of events like Carols in the Square, Music by the Pond and Woden’s 60th birthday in Edison Park.